When it comes to Norm Coleman, Big Oil Got Their Money’s Worth
Posted in Blog on September 10th, 2008
DATE: September 10, 2008
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Al Franken for Senate
RE: When it comes to Norm Coleman, Big Oil Got Their Money’s Worth
BACKGROUND:
Norm Coleman. He’s taken more money from Big Oil and Gas than any politician in Minnesota history. And Norm’s returned the favor… voting for 13 billion in tax breaks for Big Oil. That’s 5600 dollars for every Minnesota family. Enough money to fill your tank 98 times or buy 121 bags of groceries. Norm Coleman. He’s for Big Oil and the special interests. Not you.
FACTS:
Coleman Has Taken Almost $245,000 From The Oil And Gas Industry; More Than Any Member Of Congress In Minnesota. For his Senate races alone, Coleman has accepted $247,900 in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry. Coleman has accepted more campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry than any other current or former Member of Congress from Minnesota. [Center for Responsive Politics]
Coleman Voted For $5.1 Billion In Tax Breaks For Big Oil And Gas Companies. In May 2006, Coleman voted for the GOP’s $70 billion tax cut bill. According to the Boston Globe, “Big oil companies won their push to keep intact accounting changes that stand to net them $5.1 billion.” [Vote 118, 5/11/06; Boston Globe, 5/12/06]
Coleman Voted For 2005 Energy Bill Loaded With $14.6 Billion In Energy Industry Giveaways, Including $2.6 Billion For The Oil And Gas Industry. In 2005, Coleman voted for the final version of the Energy Bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill “includes $14.6 billion in tax breaks for the energy industry over the next decade.” According to the New York Times, the bill “contained $2.6 billion in new tax breaks for oil and gas drillers and a modest expansion of the
10-year-old ‘royalty relief’ program. For the most part, the law locked in incentives that the Interior Department was already offering for another five years. But it included some embellishments, like an extra break on royalties for companies drilling in the deepest waters.” [Vote 213, 7/29/05; New York Times, 3/27/06; CQ, 12/30/05]
Coleman Voted For Final 2003 Energy Bill, Stuffed With $11.9 Billion In Tax Breaks For The Oil And Gas Industry. In 2003, Coleman voted to invoke cloture on the final version of the energy bill. According to the CQ Daily Monitor, “Senate Finance Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, said the tax breaks were expanded to satisfy demands from congressional backers of the oil and gas industry. He said the final version of the bill includes $11.9 billion in tax breaks for the industry.” [Vote 456, 11/21/03; CQ Daily Monitor, 11/18/03]
